Archives: Resources

More than 10 million US citizens live with an undocumented immigrant

9/10/21 Analysis: – More than 10 million U.S. citizens share a household with an undocumented immigrant, according to a new analysis of Census Bureau data by immigration advocacy group FWD.us. Nearly half of those U.S. citizens, 4.9 million, are children who have at least one undocumented parent.
The report shows the extent to which undocumented immigrants are integrated in their communities, with 22 million people living in mixed status households.

Suicide Prevention Muslim Community Action Guide

Muslims are not immune to mental illness. Even though suicide is disallowed in strong language in the Qur’an (see 4:29; 2:195), it does not diminish the fact that countless Muslims struggle every day with suicidal thoughts.
While you may not be trained as a mental health
professional, this guide is meant to equip you with the
knowledge and tools to better prevent, intervene, and
address suicide in your community and help save lives.

Wildfires ignite California insurance”¦

9/12/21 As if California needed another crisis, the state’s seemingly perpetual wildfires are forcing millions of homeowners in fire-prone areas to pay skyrocketing premiums for insurance coverage ” if, indeed, they can buy it at all.
As the number and severity of wildfires increase, insurers are increasingly reluctant to renew policies and even if they do, premiums often double or triple.
Insurance is required for most homeowners since their mortgage lenders demand it. And if they cannot obtain regular coverage, they are forced into the insurer of last resort, FAIR, that has very high premiums and limits on coverage.

Across Parties, Americans Support People Seeking Refuge

9/22/21 WASHINGTON, D.C. ” Strong majorities of Republicans, Independents and Democrats agree that the U.S. should have a legal, secure way to welcome people from oppressed or war-torn countries.
In a new poll of 1,200 adults, including 1,000 registered voters, 65% of Americans ” including 61% of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 75% of Democrats ” agreed “that the United States should have a legal, secure process in place to take in people from oppressed or war-torn countries, such as Afghanistan.” The nationwide, online survey was fielded Thursday through Sunday. Key Words: Refugees, Asylum

DHS Updates Immigration Enforcement Priorities

9/30/21 Safety and security remain top priorities. “We will prioritize for apprehension and removal noncitizens who are a threat to our national security, public safety, and border security” the memo states.
The guidelines shift how the department will employ prosecutorial discretion, moving away from rigid enforcement categories in favor of individualized assessments. Unauthorized status, on its own, will not be the basis for enforcement actions, according to the memo. Key Words: Undocumented, deportation

Muslim American Society-Social Services Foundation (MAS-SSF)

10/21 The (MAS-SSF) offers peer mental health and social support services in five languages: English, Dari/Farsi, Pashto, Arabic, and Urdu. Support Services in-person, on the phone, and over the internet include: * A completely confidential and HIPAA-compliant peer mental health service that gives you the ability to interact with a dedicated peer specialist from virtually anywhere. Call 916 486-8626, Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm * Email MAS-SSF at counseling@mas-ssf.org

San Jose small businesses get break on paying taxes

9/29/21 After being hammered by the pandemic, small businesses will have one less expense to incur ” at least for now.
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a nine-month extension of a program that waives the city’s business license tax for businesses hurt by COVID-19. The extension will run from Oct. 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. The program started on Oct. 1, 2020, and was set to expire on Thursday.

Amala Hopeline for Muslim Youth

10/21 If you are feeling sadness, anxiety, fear, or any emotions that you need to process, please call Amala Hopeline. We aim to provide a culturally competent, confidential, and non-judgmental counseling and resource referral over the phone. We are available Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 6PM-10PM. Please give us a call, we are here for you. 855-95-Amala

STAND TOGETHER: Welcoming Muslim Refugees in Challenging Times

2016 This guide was created for advocates, service providers, and supporters like yourself as a tool to address
this backlash toward refugees and Muslim Americans, and to help you proactively engage with community leaders and neighbors. Through the messages, sample conversations, story ideas, and worksheets in this toolkit, we will help you develop straightforward yet persuasive language to use in the spoken or written communications you use in your work to support the needs of your whole community,

COVID-19: The Unvaccinated Pose a Risk to the Vaccinated

9/25/21 An unvaccinated person who is infected with COVID-19 poses a much greater risk to others who are also unvaccinated. But vaccines are not 100% effective, so there is a chance that an unvaccinated person could infect a vaccinated person ” particularly the vulnerable, such as elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Fact Check from SciCheck’s COVID-19/Vaccination Project.

FREE Bilingual Children’s Picture Dictionary – Clothes

Learn types of clothing with this bilingual children’s picture dictionary. Free download in:
English/Afrikaans, English/Albanian, English/Amharic, English/Arabic Egyptian, English/Arabic Formal, English/Arabic Gulf, English/Arabic Levantine, English/Arabic Maghrebi, English/Armenian, English/Azerbaijani, English/Basque, English/Belarusian, English/Bengali, English/Bosnian, English/Bulgarian, English/Burmese (Myanmar),
English/Catalan, English/Chinese Mandarin, Traditional, English/Chinese Simplified Mandarin, English/Chinese Traditional Cantonese, English/Chinese Traditional Mandarin (Taiwan), English/Croatian, English/Czech, English/Danish, English/Dari, English/Dutch,English/Estonian, English/Finnish, English/Flemish (Belgian), English/French, English/French Canadian, English/Georgian, English/German, English/Greek, English/Gujarati, English/Haitian Creole, English/Hebrew, English/Hindi, English/Hungarian, English/Icelandic, English/Indonesian, English/Irish Gaelic, English/Italian, English/Japanese, English/Kannada, English/Kazakh, English/Khmer, (Cambodian), English/Korean, English/Kurdish, English/Lao (Laotian), English/Latvian, English/Lithuanian, English/Macedonian, English/Malay, English/Malayalam, English/Maltese, English/Marathi, English/Mongolian, English/Nepali
English/Norwegian, English/Pashto, English/Persian (Farsi), English/Polish, English/Portuguese (Brazil)
English/Portuguese (Portugal), English/Punjabi
English/Romanian, English/Russian, English/Serbian Cyrillic, English/Serbian Latin, English/Slovak, English/Slovenian (Slovene), English/Shanghainese
English/Sinhala, English/Somali, English/Spanish (Castilian), English/Spanish (Latin America), English/Swahili, English/Swedish, English/Swiss, French, English/Swiss German, English/Swiss Italian,
English/Tagalog, English/Thai, English/Tamil,
English/Telugu, English/Tigrinya, English/Turkish,
English/Ukrainian, English/Urdu, English/Uzbek,
English/Vietnamese, English/Welsh, English/Xhosa, English/Yoruba, English/Zulu

CDC Guidance for Refugees Upon Arrival in the United States

2021 Refugees come from diverse regions of the world, and professionals working with them need to understand the health risks, including the risk of COVID-19, in the countries from which they are departing. One resource is CDC’s Travel Health Notices, which are resources for travelers, including refugees, to help understand the risk of COVID-19 in destinations around the world. Learn how CDC determines the level of a destination’s COVID-19 Travel Health Notice. Multi-language: :Welcome Booklet for Refugees Amharic, Arabic Burmese, Dari, Farsi, French, Haitian, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya Ukrainian

A Mental Wellness Activity Book for ASIAN AMERICANS

The University of Connecticut’s Asian and Asian American Studies Institute has partnered with the #IAMNOTAVIRUS campaign and the Asian American Literary Review to provide students with this Mental Health Workbook. With the way that the world is now, many of us are struggling. Wellness and mental health are not often recognized as important issues for Asian Americans and we are 3 times less likely to seek mental health services than our White peers. At the Institute we believe that Asian American Studies is good for your health because it connects you to the history, culture, and politics of the life and struggle of our communities.

THE TIME FOR A PARADIGMATIC SHIFT IN HOW AMERICANS VIEW IMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRATION IS NOW

4/21 Trump’s illegal and insanely inhumane Migrant “Protection” Protocols (MPP), which didn’t protect anyone at all. From January 2019, MPP trapped roughly 70,000 of the world’s most vulnerable people, including 16,000 children, in some of the most dangerous places on Earth.
It is right that we should celebrate their liberty from a policy that criminalized asylum and slammed U.S. doors shut on people seeking refuge. We must elevate their resolve to enter the U.S. legally and with dignity as we recognize their international right to migrate.
But we must not let the celebrations blind us to the obvious: Our immigration system is broken and cruel.

Welcoming San Jose 2021 – 24 Plan

With recent changes in the national landscape that
allow for greater forward movement for immigrant
communities, building an inclusive and cohesive
San José is work that requires a deliberate investment from all sectors. A bold local strategy and
infrastructure to support immigrant inclusion is
critical to a successful city for all, regardless of national origin or immigration status. The Welcoming
San José Plan: 2021-2024 is another step towards
building and implementing this local strategy, in
collaboration with our many community partners.

The Invisible Wall: Title 42 and its Impact on Haitian Migrants

4/21 As of the release of this paper, over 1,200 people
have been expelled to Haiti since February 1, 2021, including hundreds of children, and dozens of Haitians, possibly hundreds, more have been expelled to Mexico.5
Almost all of these expulsions are occurring under what is referred to as the “Title 42” policy enacted
by the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”), which authorizes the expulsion of noncitizens without
any procedural protections guaranteed by Congress, such as the right to seek asylum and other related
forms of humanitarian protection. The Trump Administration’s justification for adopting this policy
that violates U.S. immigration statutes and its international obligations of non-refoulement was to protect Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers from COVID-19 and to minimize the number of
persons in congregate settings, such as immigration detention centers.6

STRUCTURAL COMPETENCY

Clinical training often restricts the scope of cultural competency training to the beliefs and behaviors of individual patients. Structural competency aims to develop a language and set of interventions to reduce health inequalities at the level of neighborhoods, institutions and policies.

American Red Cross (ARC) Statement on Violence Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

3/9/21 As the nation’s most trusted humanitarian organization, it is our honor and responsibility to alleviate suffering to people without regard to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class, sexual orientation, or political opinions.
The ARC abhors intolerance, hate, racism and violence of any kind. We are disturbed by the reported 150% increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans in major US cities in 2020 and commit to remain vigilant as we deliver our mission in communities across the country.

CADRE Connection Newsletter – November 2023

Monthly news from the Santa Clara County chapter of NVOAD (National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). Information and resources for local, state and national disaster training and relief programs available to Santa Clara County residents. News and updates about CADRE partner organizations, and opportunities to collaborate. The CADRE Newsletter is hosted by SVCN (Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits). Key Words: Disaster Preparation, SCC

7 Immigration Myths We Must Unlearn to Reclaim Our Humanity

Our immigration system is broken and cruel. Trump was enabled in turning the cruelty up to 11 by an infrastructure he inherited. It must be reengineered before another madman is allowed to hack American ideals to that extent again.
But fixing it demands that we examine ” then toss into the ash heap of history ” the myths on which our archaic, even barbaric, immigration apparatus rests.

Racial Equity Institute

AN ALLIANCE OF TRAINERS, ORGANIZERS, AND INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS WHO HAVE DEVOTED OURSELVES TO THE WORK OF CREATING RACIALLY EQUITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND SYSTEMS. WE HELP INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOP TOOLS TO CHALLENGE PATTERNS OF POWER AND GROW EQUITY.

Peninsula Rides San Mateo County Senior Mobility Guide

Peninsula Rides provides information about transportation options to people with mobility challenges so they can get around in and beyond San Mateo County.
Learn more about the 30+ transit options available to you, both public and private, in one easy-to-search website.
interactive “Find Your Ride” tool
Multi-language:
Spanish |
Chinese | Key Words: AFN, transportation

Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI)

9/15/21 Hiring Dari/Pashto speaking Therapist to serve arriving Afghan Refugees. Founded in 2005 by a group of bilingual/bicultural mental health professionals, CERI provides culturally-relevant mental health and other social services. We are dedicated to transforming the lives of refugees and immigrants and their families, many of whom suffer from weakening intergenerational relationships, layers of complex needs, and exposure to violence and trauma both in their current environments and in their native countries.

Where Afghan refugees are expected to be resettled, by state

9/16/21 The Biden administration this week notified state authorities of the number of Afghan evacuees each state could receive in the coming weeks as part of the first phase of a massive resettlement operation that is slated to place nearly 37,000 refugees from Afghanistan in U.S. communities.
California is expected to receive 5,225 Afghan evacuees, the most of any state. Texas is set to receive 4,481 Afghans, followed by Oklahoma, which is expected to host 1,800 evacuees. Washington state and Arizona are each slated to receive more than 1,600 evacuees.

Asian American lawmakers urge DOJ to give updates about hate crimes law

9/22/21 President Joe Biden signed the legislation, co-sponsored by Hirono and Meng, on May 20 after it win bipartisan support in Congress. It directed the Justice Department to expedite the review of Covid-19-related hate crimes that were reported to law enforcement agencies to help them create ways to report such incidents online and to conduct public outreach.

Pathways to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants

2021 According to FWD.us estimates, undocumented immigrants belong to groups the U.S. public overwhelmingly supports being granted U.S. citizenship. With undocumented immigrants already filling substantial shares of critical occupations, America’s workforce will need undocumented immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship for a strong, post COVID-19 economy. Congress has no time to waste in building America back better.

California 1st to Set Quota Limits for Retailers Like Amazon

9/22/21 California on Wednesday became the first state to bar mega-retailers from firing warehouse workers for missing quotas that interfere with bathroom and rest breaks under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that grew from Amazon’s drive to speed goods to consumers more quickly.
The measure also bars Amazon, the online retail giant, and similar companies from disciplining workers for following health and safety laws and allows employees to sue to suspend unsafe quotas or reverse retaliation. The bill applies to all warehouse distribution centers, though proponents were driven by Amazon’s dominance.

Muslim Americans Experience a Wave of Islamophobic Attacks Following 20th Anniversary of 9/11

9-16-21 On what should have been a day of reflection and solidarity marking the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorism attacks on our nation, some Americans once again decided it was more important to turn to hate by harassing and attacking their fellow man.
NBC News’ Sakshi Venkatraman has reported that “as the 20th anniversary of 9/11 passed Saturday, Muslim Americans braced for what community leaders said happens every year around this time: a wave of hate and overt Islamophobia.”

Operation Blue Roof

Operation Blue Roof is a priority mission managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for FEMA. Operation Blue Roof aims to provide homeowners in disaster areas with fiber-reinforced sheeting to cover their damaged roofs until permanent repairs are made. This program is a free service to homeowners. This program is for primary residences or a permanently occupied rental property with less than 50 percent structural damage.

Archive – Pathways to Protection for Afghans at Risk

9/1/21 from NILC (Nat Immigration Law Center)
On August 31, President Biden announced the full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the conclusion of “the largest airlift in U.S. history” a 17-day evacuation of approximately 120,000 people from Hamid Karzai airport in Kabul. In addition to U.S. citizens and citizens of other allied nations, among those evacuated were at-risk Afghans who assisted the U.S. military effort or who were otherwise under threat. The U.S. has announced three different immigration pathways that are being used to evacuate and resettle vulnerable Afghans: Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) status, the Priority 2 (P2) Refugee Program, and Humanitarian Parole.

Afghan resettlement raises the question- Who is coming to the U.S.?

9/5/21 With tens of thousands of Afghans arriving at the end of America’s longest war, such comments from witnesses and government officials have left a question looming over the coming weeks, one that is already dividing host communities from Missoula, Mont., to Jacksonville, Fla.: Who is coming to the United States?
The emerging picture is more complicated than President Biden’s depiction of the airlift that whisked planeloads of Afghans to safety as a moral imperative to save people who helped Americans during a difficult conflict despite the risk. “We got thousands of Afghan translators and interpreters, and others who supported the United States, out” he said recently. Key Words: Refugees, Asylum

Archive – Volunteer Legal Support for Afghans

12/31/23 Update – no longer accepting volunteers – This form is for volunteer legal workers interested in assisting with Afghan humanitarian parole applications. Volunteers will provide pro se support to Afghans and their sponsors, but will not formally represent applicants.
For more information about how to file for humanitarian parole for Afghan evacuees, see our training video and step-by-step guide

Afghan Immigrants in the United States

9/7/21 The dramatic aftermath of the U.S. military departure from Afghanistan after 20 years of war and rapid rise of the Taliban prompted a chaotic evacuation of Afghan allies and others to the United States and other countries. The U.S. government has said it expects that at least 50,000 Afghans will eventually be brought to the United States, as part of one of the largest airlifts of its kind in U.S. history. As of September 3, nearly 34,000 U.S.-bound Afghans were being housed at U.S. and NATO bases in the Middle East and Europe; another nearly 26,000 evacuees were at eight military facilities in the United States.

Cities for Action / DACA Toolkit

Toolkit to help keep DACA recipients and impacted communities informed about the current status of the DACA program, light the pathway to resources amid a constantly shifting landscape, and offer tools to both elevate the voices of DACA recipients and impacted community and drive the message that DACA recipients strengthen the social and institutional fabric of the United States.

Afghan Coalition

Formed in 1996, Afghan Coalition is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community organization. We are dedicated to strengthening Afghan families, improving their access to social services, and building a strong and united Afghan American community. Located at the Family Resource Center in Fremont, CA, the Afghan Coalition is the largest Afghan-American organization in the US. Serving over 1,000 community members per year, particularly immigrant women and children, bilingual/bicultural advocates bridge the language and cultural gaps between community members and financial and social services.
Little Kabul
Key Words: Refugee

Archive – Will the Taliban’s Takeover Lead to a New Refugee Crisis from Afghanistan?

9/2/21 The decision to withdraw U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan and the subsequent abrupt takeover by the Taliban have triggered profound concerns among Afghans, who fear for the future under the Taliban’s rule. Internationally, one key concern is that a major refugee crisis may be imminent, which could swell the numbers of Afghans previously displaced within and beyond the country’s borders during prior decades of war. Already this year, more than 558,000 Afghans have been displaced internally. Under a worst-case scenario, an estimated 515,000 refugees could be forced out of the country by the end of this year. Future flight would add to the existing 2.8 million Afghan refugees and asylum seekers around the world, who have long been among the planet’s largest humanitarian populations.

Since 9/11, US Muslims Have Gained Unprecedented Political, Cultural Influence

8/1/21 As the 20th anniversary of September 11 approaches, the recent rise of many Muslim Americans to positions of power and influence”in Washington and in statehouses, on big screens and small ones, across playing fields and news desks”is a development that few in the U.S. would have predicted two decades ago, Muslims included. In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks by the radical Islamic sect Al-Qaeda, anti-Muslim hate crimes exploded and the ensuing global “war on terror” to root out jihadists created a “climate of discrimination, fear and intolerance,” as one think tank described it, that surrounded people.

Archive – Free Legal Services for Afghan Refugees in CA

CA DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES IMMIGRATION SERVICES FUNDING FOR AFGHAN POPULATIONS – The CDSS funds qualified nonprofits to provide immigration legal services free of charge. The nonprofits on this list provide services to the Afghan population. For more information on service availability and additional service locations, please contact the organization directly. Multi-language: Pashto, Dari, Farsi

Employer Liabilities and Considerations for Requiring Vaccinations – Recording

SVCN Webinar Recording Answering Questions About Vaccine Mandates for CA Non-Profits.
Can our nonprofit require our employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment?
Do we have to provide alternatives to vaccination?
Are there any conditions where employees will be exempt from being vaccinated?
Hear the answers to questions like these from attorney Sarju A. Naran (Employment Law, Hoge Fenton), who discussed the legal and practical considerations of what nonprofits need to know about requiring vaccinations in the workplace. Key Words: Employers

Welcome to the United States: A Guidebook for Refugees

2012 The Welcome set is comprised of two COR Center resources: Welcome to the US: A Guidebook for Refugees and its complementary DVD, Welcome to the United States: Refugee Guide to Resettlement. These resources, developed at the request of the Department of State, Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), are designed to support overseas Cultural Orientation, as well as for use in initial domestic orientation or by refugees directly. Multi-language: English, Arabic, Burmese, Farsi, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Nepali, Somali, Swahili

Steps to Protect Your Online Identity from the Taliban: Digital History and Evading Biometrics Abuses

8/17/21 We understand that the Taliban is now likely to have access to various biometric databases and equipment in Afghanistan, including some left behind by coalition military forces. This technology is likely to include access to a database with fingerprints and iris scans, and include facial recognition technology.
Overall, it is very difficult to avoid recognition based on biometric data, but the following fact sheet outlines some things you can do, and some you shouldn’t.
Multi-language: English, Dari, Pashto Key Words: Refugee, SIV,
Evading the Misuse of Biometric Data |
Evading the Misuse of Biometric Data-Pashto |
Evading the Misuse of Biometric Data-Dari |
IInternet Shutdowns and Blockages – English |
Internet Shutdowns and Blockages-Dari |
Thwarting Digital Surveillance-English |
Thwarting Digital Surveillance-Dari |
How to Delete Your Digital History-English |
How to Delete Your Digital History-Dari |
How to Delete Your Digital History-Pashto |

FAQs: Protection From Digital Identification Methods By the Taliban |

Bosses to U.S. workers- Vaccination or termination

8/30/21 Corporate leaders have clearly become impatient. They’ve decided to use their freedom and workplace muscle to choose what risks are worthwhile for their enterprises. Unvaccinated workers have become a no-go.
Yes, the workplace vaccination drive isn’t simply a health concern for a company’s communities. There are monetary motivations, too. Healthier nation, healthier profits. Key Words: Pandemic

Archive – Afghan American Foundation Emergency Resource List

8/17/21 In this moment of humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, please consider donating directly or otherwise supporting established, vetted and reputable organizations working in Afghanistan and in support of the Afghan people. The list below has been compiled includes organizations/efforts that AAF board members and other community individuals have placed a great deal of trust into. Emergency Donations links to reputable organizations providing life-saving care in Afghanistan are included

Switchboard (for Refugee Service Providers)

Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the US. Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Switchboard offers a library of learning resources, an online evidence database, a range of self-paced e-learning courses, regular live learning opportunities, and on-demand technical assistance for ORR-funded organizations. Switchboard is implemented by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). IRC has partnered with Lutheran Immigrant Refugee Service (LIRS) to provide employment-related training and technical assistance.

Assurance Wireless Free Phone & Service

Assurance Wireless Unlimited combines our Lifeline service with the temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) to give eligible customers Unlimited Data & Texts & Minutes, plus 10GB Hotspot Data.
Lifeline is a government benefit program. Assurance Wireless provides Lifeline service supported by the federal Universal Service Fund and the California LifeLine Program.
Qualifications: Enrollment in this government benefit program is available to consumers who qualify based on federal or state-specific eligibility criteria. See if you qualify today! Key Words: Communication, internet

Gavilan College Food Pantry

8/24/21 On campus food pantry and free drive through food distribution at Gavilan College Gilroy campus This is open to the community and folks are required to pre-register online. Also help with application for CalFresh.
For more information, email us at foodpantry@gavilan.edu agutierrez@gavilan.edu www.gavilan.edu/calworks www.gavilan.edu/freshsuccess www.gavilan.edu/foodpantry www.gavilan.edu/resources Key Words: Education,

Deadly Discrimination: The Forgotten Impact Of Covid-19 On People With Disabilities

7/6/20 Disability rights are civil rights, and July 26, 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Similar to laws in other countries, it is significant civil rights legislation affording persons with disabilities legal protection from discrimination.
During the coronavirus pandemic, it is precisely these legal protections that should safeguard people. However, according to Marcie Roth, CEO of World Institute on Disability, “of the 43% of COVID-19 deaths attributed to congregate facilities, almost 100% are disabled people.” Key Words: AFN

Muslim American mental health experts are developing their own resources

8/26/21 Muslim American adults are twice as likely to report a history of attempted suicide than Americans belonging to other religious traditions or no religion, according to a new study. It’s a rate even higher than experts feared, one that includes both local tragedies that families may be reluctant to report and high-profile cases, like the shocking murder-suicide in Allen, Texas, that left an entire family dead in April and sent shockwaves through Muslim communities around the country.

Archive – California Democrats tell Biden to send Afghan refugees to Golden State

8/27/21 A cadre of California members of Congress, including several from the Bay Area, have told President Biden the Golden State is ready and willing to serve as a “safe harbor” for Afghan refugees and special immigrant visa applicants fleeing their home country that’s now under Taliban rule.
In a letter to Biden delivered Friday, East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell, along with Southern California Reps. Ted Lieu and Adam Schiff, wrote the U.S. is “indebted to our Afghan partners, many of whom aided the U.S. military and diplomatic efforts” and risked their lives during a 20-year conflict.

Global Alliance for Disability Resource Acceleration (Global Alliance or GADRA)

World Institute on Disability (WID), the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies (the Partnership), and ONG Inclusiva have joined forces to form the Global Alliance for Disability Resource Acceleration (Global Alliance or GADRA) as a “Call-to-Action” to galvanize disability-led organizations, foundations, corporations, and other allies to identify needs and link partners to accelerate assistance and resources, both during and after disasters. Key Words: AFN

Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans – FEMA

9/21 Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 provides guidance from FEMA on the fundamentals
of planning and developing emergency operations plans. The guide describes the steps to produce
an emergency operation plan, possible plan structures and components of a base plan and its
annexes. Other FEMA guides provide detailed information about planning considerations for specific
functions, hazards and threats

Archive – Northern California secures federal disaster declaration

8/25/21 The White House has approved California’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, as wildfires continue to ravage landscapes and threaten entire communities in the northern part of the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office announced.
The declaration will help bolster emergency response to the fires by making additional resources available and helping residents qualify for housing assistance, counseling, medical services and legal services. The approval applies specifically to the regions affected by the Dixie and River fires, although other blazes, like the Caldor Fire, may be included later on, according to the governor’s office.

Responding to Questions and Concerns about the COVID-19 Vaccine, Including During Ramadan

4/15/21 Refugee service providers are increasingly being asked questions about the vaccine. They may struggle not only with what their responses should be, but also with what their role should be in the vaccine conversation and where to find helpful resources for clients. Key Words: misinformation, Muslim, Islam, vaccination

Home Alone: Prepare Kids for Emergencies

Many children don’t have adult supervision 100% of the time. Parents and caregivers have jobs, errands, and other responsibilities that require them to leave their kids home alone some of the time.
Emergencies and no-notice disasters can happen during these gaps in supervision. Here are some practical skills you can teach, and conversations you can have, to prepare them to be home alone.

DCARA ASL Interpreting

DCARA Interpreting is a deaf managed non profit providing interpreting services which allows for on site and video communication between hearing people and deaf people in Bay Area, California. request@dcara.org 510-722-7004 Multi-language: ASL Key Words: SCC Language Access

Explainer: Humanitarian Parole and the Afghan Evacuation

8/30/21 The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has prompted a refugee crisis. UNHCR reports that more than 550,000 Afghans have been displaced since January due to Taliban advances. Those most at risk include women leaders and activists, human rights workers, journalists, and tens of thousands of individuals who have assisted U.S. efforts in the country and are marked by their connection to the U.S. military.
Due to the inadequacy of the SIV and P-2 programs in the context of an emergency evacuation, on August 23 the administration announced it would be using its humanitarian parole authority to process in evacuated Afghans who do not already have visas. This explainer will define humanitarian parole and describe how it is being used in the ongoing evacuation.

Congress fails to extend national COVID eviction ban

7/31/21 More than 3.6 million Americans are at risk of eviction, some in a matter of days.
A nationwide eviction moratorium is set to expire Saturday after President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress worked furiously but ultimately failed to align on a long-shot strategy to prevent millions of Americans from being forced from their homes during a COVID-19 surge.
More than 3.6 million Americans are at risk of eviction, some in a matter of days, as nearly $47 billion in federal housing aid to the states during the pandemic has been slow to make it into the hands of renters and landlords owed payments.

Stopping ICE From Unlawfully Detaining Immigrant Youth

7/2/21 Following a four-week trial in December 2019 and January 2020, the Court held on July 2, 2020 that ICE is violating the law in the manner in which it detains 18 year-olds.
This lawsuit challenged Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) practice of transferring unaccompanied minors who turn 18 years old to adult custody in the agency’s contracted jails and prisons, without considering less restrictive placements. In many cases, youth were sent to ICE detention even if they had sponsors waiting to take them in.

Deanza College

An undocumented student who has attended a California high school? You may qualify for exemption from out-of-state tuition rates under the California law known as AB 540.
Remember to apply for the De Anza College Promise: Eligible students get free tuition and fees for two years, plus $1,000 that you can use for books, materials or even a computer! Key Words: ESL

CITY OF SAN JOSÉ APPOINTS DIRECTOR TO NEW OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY

10/20/20 Zulma Maciel to helm new Office responsible for advancing citywide equity framework to address systemic racism. This Office is responsible for advancing systems change through a citywide racial equity framework that will examine and improve San José’s internal policies, programs, and practices to eradicate any structural and/or institutional racism in the City of San José. This includes a focus on enabling the organization, at all levels and in all departments, to identify ways to improve outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Key Words: Ethnic

Archive -OVERVIEW OF THE NEW U NONIMMIGRANT (“U VISA”) BONA FIDE DETERMINATION

7/2021 On June 14, 2021, USCIS announced a new “bona fide determination” process whereby certain U petitioners and their family members with pending U petitions can receive four-year work authorization and deferred action while they wait for full adjudication. This process could be very good for many of the 270,000 folks who have filed for a U visa and are waiting – but there are many folks left out, and of course, much of this depends on how the process will be implemented. This practice advisory explains the process as we understand it based on current information and draws heavily on the new guidance published in the USCIS Policy Manual on the U
Nonimmigrant Bona Fide Determination at Volume 3, Part C, Chapter 5, 1 which should be consulted for more details and further legal citations.

Foothill College

First-time, full-time students (12 units or more**) are eligible to have the cost of tuition and fees fully paid for their first two years at Foothill College, except for summer session.
WE OFFER 79 ASSOCIATE DEGREES, 100 CERTIFICATES AND 1 BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN DENTAL HYGIENE.
The program covers tuition and fees in the fall, winter, and spring quarters only. It is not applicable for summer-session classes. Key Words: ESL

Bay Area’s rising Asian and Hispanic populations are driving region’s growth, census reveals

8/12/21 The percentage of White residents fell in every county while the share of Latino residents grew in all but Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
That’s a trend now being mirrored across the country, where the population of White residents shrank over the past decade for the first time while the number of Asian and Latino Americans rose.

FEMA Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG)

May 2021 The IAPPG version 1.1 consolidates information on all of FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) programs and activities and provides a comprehensive policy resource for state,1 local,2 tribal,3 and territorial (SLTT) governments, non-governmental organization
partners, and entities that participate in or support the recovery of disaster survivors. Key Words: Emergency, Disaster

American Red Cross (ARC) Contact Loved Ones

War and disaster can tear families apart when they need each other the most. The American Red Cross can help your family members reconnect, whether the separation was caused by a recent emergency here at home, war or natural disaster overseas, or events as far back as the Holocaust.
Reunification of Family in the US and US Territories
Restoring Family Links to locate a family member outside of the US separated by international crisis. Call our free Restoring Family Links national helpline at 1-844-782-9441
Multi-language: Spanish

SJPL Family Learning Centers

Family Learning Centers (FLCs) offer free learning opportunities, resources and services for adults and families. The Centers are designed to support:
English Language Learners (ELL)
Immigrants
Adults with Intellectual and Learning Disabilities
Older Adults/Seniors
Members of underserved and underrepresented communities
programs include education, technology and skills-building opportunities. Multi-language
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese Simplified |
Chinese Traditional |

American Red Cross (ARC) – Find Open Shelters

If an emergency has forced you to evacuate your home, the Red Cross may be able to help. National site with locations of all Red Cross sponsored emergency shelters.
Everyone is welcome at a Red Cross shelter. The Red Cross does not discriminate based on nationality, race, religious beliefs, class, disability, political opinions, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Your service animal is also welcome. Please speak with a shelter worker if your service animal is in need of food or supplies. (You may also ask for help finding placement for your pets.)

CDC Recommends COVID-19 Vaccines for Pregnant Women

8/11/21 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday urged pregnant women and women who were recently pregnant to get vaccinated for COVID-19, saying there was mounting evidence that the benefits of the vaccine far outweighed any known or potential risks.
The CDC said on its website that the current COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant.
The agency also said that although the overall risk of severe illness was low, pregnant and recently pregnant women were more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with nonpregnant women. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can protect them from severe illness

Generocity – RACIAL EQUITY GLOSSARY

Since a shared vocabulary is the necessary first step for discussing racial equity, Generocity has put together a glossary of terms you might find useful.

Special Needs – Glossary of Spanish Translations

This 2nd edition of the OSEP Glossary of Spanish Translations of Common IDEA Terms includes over 400 terms related to IDEA Parts B and C (the parts of IDEA that cover special education and early intervention services, respectively). The terms were selected by experienced translators from Parent Centers who have worked with families with children with disabilities representing the majority of Spanish-speaking cultures in Latin America and Spain. Multi-language: Spanish

La Cooperativa Campesina de California

A 501 c (3) corporation, is the statewide association of agencies implementing and administering farm worker service programs including employment training, advocacy and disaster relief. Members: California Human Development Corporation (CHDC) | Center for Employment Training (CET) | Central Valley Opportunity Center (CVOC) | Employers’ Training Resource (ETR) | Proteus, Inc. | Multi-language: Spanish

California Human Development (CHD)

bilingual programs in 13 counties to 15,000 individuals annually. CHD’s offerings include job training and placement assistance for rural laborers as well as tutoring, mentorship, and career advising for farmworker youth. CHD also provides affordable housing and energy services, criminal justice services, citizenship and immigration aid, and healthcare and disability services.
Multi-language: Spanish
Counties Served: Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Yolo, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba, Contra Costa, Butte, and Colusa. Member of
La Cooperativa Campesina

For Minimum Wage Workers, Rent Is Now Unaffordable in Every County in America

7/16/21 There is now not a single state or county in the US where a minimum wage worker on a 40-hour week can afford a two-bedroom home at the fair market rent, according to a report published by the National Low Income Housing Coalition this week. In 93 percent of US counties, such full-time minimum wage workers can’t afford a one-bedroom apartment, either.
“The enduring problem of housing unaffordability requires bold investments in housing solutions that will ensure stability in the future” said NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel in an emailed statement. “Without a significant federal intervention, housing will continue to be out of reach for millions of renters.”

Trabajos del Campo

7/21 Trabajosdelcampo.com: is an anonymous Job Review Platform for migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North America. The goal is to improve the working and living conditions of farmworkers across the US and Canada by providing a platform to communicate freely about farm job working conditions(think Glassdoor for farmworkers).
The Anonymous Job Review Website Concept has already brought transparency and accountability to the workplace across numerous industries. Trabajosdelcampo.com will bring the concept to those who need it most, our Nations’ Farmworkers.